A PENSIONER died last week after collapsing at his home in Crewe while cooking some food.

The 70-year-old man was discovered by his wife on the floor in the kitchen at their home in Hardwick Court, Crewe at 9.30pm last Thursday.

Firefighters were called to the sheltered housing complex because the food had started to burn and had caused the kitchen to become smoke logged.

Fire spokesman Evan Morris said this was the eighth fire death since Christmas Eve when the number of fatalities is usually between seven and nine in one year.

"Our great concern is what the end of year number will be at a time when the brigade is putting more resources into education and advertising to try and make people aware of the dangers of fire," he added.

"But there is little one can do when an elderly gentleman collapses while cooking a meal."

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